Happy Turkey Trot Day!

Early Misty Morning

Cold, Blurry, Rainy...

After battling a long and treacherous journey to arrive half alive in Michigan,  Cheryl ran her Turkey Trot.  The hours were early, blurry  and cold.   For only a 5 K race, there sure were a lot of people here today.

The Floundering Mob Rushed by...

And ran with reckless abandon!

 Cheryl noted that most of the people were kids who had no experience running anything longer than a 5K.   It is difficult to explain, but imagine a bumbling, stumbling, gaggle of children running through school doors to beat each other to the play ground so they do not miss a second of recess.  With Tutus and Chicken hats!  

Got that?   Now add about 3000 to that number and that was the race.  Cheryl noted that 5K-ers seem to be unprofessional motley crew of people who push and shove their way to the front and trip each other as they rocket out of the start...only to fizzle out after barely 1 mile.   If you manage to not get trampled at the start line, there is a very good chance the longer distance runners will pass them after they collapse in the middle.

And showing off the shirt.

Cheryl pinning on the Bib.

We were forced to pick up the packet this morning, as we arrived too late to pick it up last night.   And just as I was about to pick up some atmosphere pictures...the batteries died in the camera.   FUN!

Then texting the Fam for Batteries!

The Family arrives to save the day...With batteries in hand. 

No  worries!  Cheryl's Fam brought new ones and helped me out of a pinch.... But the camera still lacks the precision for action shots.   Ah well.   What would a Turkey trot be if it were not cold and blurry?

The Race Route.  Along the River

Let's get the race Started! 

The map ran through Grand Rapids limited cityscape,  But managed to hit the more scenic sights. The fish ladder and bridges and parks were possibly the most notable.

Cheryl comes into the Arena

And crosses the finish.  

Cheryl tried NOT to hurt herself this time....and still ended up coming in third in her age group....Thus earning her a medal.  I managed to get a limited, blurry picture of her at the finish...along with a random black guy.  (Who turned out far clearer than the actual target of my shudder!)

Let's see the results!

Third place!   Good enough for a medal!

Cheryl and Julie pose with the Turkey

Afterwards, we collected her trophy and headed out to the parking lot to get the one truly clear picture of her with a mascot.   I do believe that this is the one and ONLY mascot picture of this year.   Maybe we can finally say 2016 has not been the best year of things.   Cars, cameras, injuries, pictures, and mascots....   There will still be a few races before the new year, but let's hope 2017 sees and improvement by a noticeable margin.

Retaken Picture.   The Turkey blinked!

The rest is all normal stuff.   Meet the family; Eat too much food;  Catch up and talk about our problems/ lives.  Nothing special.

So that is all!  Mission successful!   Cheryl's goal was to run slower and not get hurt.   She was not even trying for a medal this year...but managed to get one!  Yeah!    And we got the visit the family while we were here.   Two Birds...One stone!   Now we get to ride back home and repeat the process again for Saturday.

Well,  the running part anyway.   Not the family visitation.  Cheryl has a "After Turkey Day Half Marathon" in Des Moines this coming weekend.  With a little luck,  the weather will clear up,  our travel lag will improve, and the racers will not be a disorganized mob of kids.  I know this may make us ( or just me) sound like a "Running Snob".   But last year, Cheryl hurt herself trying to run with those loose cannons.   And that injury took her out for almost 6 months!  Best to leave those 5 k races for the beginners and let them learn the ropes...
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Hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving today.  And hopefully you did not eat too much to keep you up at night....or feel regretful in the morning when you gain the 5 lbs back that you worked so hard to lose before today.   But then again...What are holidays all about?  Have a good one!